Close up teaser image of cover of The Encore Society brochure, with the headline "for the music that has yet to be performed." Brochure designed by Carolyn Porter of Porterfolio, Inc. for The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

“Encore Society” Planned Giving Brochure

Collage of pages showing "The Encore Society" brochure designed for The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra by Carolyn Porter of Porterfolio, Inc.

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra hired Carolyn to design a high-end brochure that would inspire patrons to include the Orchestra’s planned giving program, The Encore Society, in their estate plan. The biggest challenge was to present complicated financial information, including tax implications and estate planning considerations, in an easy-to-understand way. 

Since thoughtful estate planning can be a lengthy process, a second goal, according to the client’s project brief, was to create a brochure patrons would hold on to for years.

The design solution featured an excerpt from a composition commissioned by the Orchestra, photos of current Encore Society members and information on their estate planning choices, a translucent fly sheet, and a pocket that contained inserts that could be updated as needed. A custom envelope repeated the same excerpt of music.

The suite of materials included a list of reasons people should include the Orchestra in their estate plan:
For the passions that have yet to be pursued.
For the music that has yet to be performed.
For the musician who has yet to take the stage.
For the audience that has yet to be assembled.

The result? According to Carolyn’s client, a member of the orchestra’s Board of Directors stated the brochure was “the most beautiful piece ever created for the Orchestra.”

Click to see another project Carolyn designed for the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.